6 Ways to Change Your Skin Cancer Destiny

The number of women under age 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has doubled in the past 30 years. Don't be another statistic. Take charge of how you eat, think and even how you apply sunscreen. It's time to seize control of your skin's future.

1. Inspect your medicine chest.

Rx and over-the-counter pills may compromise your skin’s health. Corticosteroids, which are prescribed for dermatitis, allergies and more, can depress the immune system, making for dodgy cell replication. Other drugs can sensitize skin to the sun, including antibiotics (like tetracycline and Bactrim), birth control pills (in genetically predisposed women), certain painkillers (including Aleve and Motrin) and some acne medications (Isotretinoin, Retin-A). If you can’t swap meds, be vigilant with sun protection. The good news: Some drugs may offer help. Researchers link statins (a cholesterol suppressant) to lower cancer incidence, but docs don’t suggest taking this Rx for this reason alone.

2. Get stronger (start with spinach, sweat and sleep).

Under normal circumstances, a healthy body is wonderfully resilient: Cells divide, and if they make mistakes in the process, their DNA either produces proteins that correct inconsistencies or these erratic cells die. But if that checkpoint fails, your immune system’s antibodies blast mutated cells with fix-it proteins called cytokines. As a result, abnormal cells fade away and you go about your day blissfully unaware of these actions. Minimizing UV exposure is the most effective way to escape skin cancer, because the free radicals the rays create lead to a greater chance of these mistakes happening. But “strengthening your immunity can also help,” says Upendra Hegde, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center in Farmington. To keep immunity in fighting form, eat a balanced diet, exercise, de-stress and get enough sleep; meditation and yoga can dramatically lower anxiety. Depending on your habits, “you can be an 84-year-old with a 35-year-old’s hardy immune system, or a 35-year-old with an 84-year-old’s weak immune system,” Dr. Hegde says.

3. Go back to your roots.

UV rays trigger most skin cancer–causing DNA mutations, but 5 percent to 10 percent, like those in the p53 and BRAF genes, are inherited. If you’ve had skin cancer, you have an increased risk for a new occurrence within the first five years of surgery. Those with a parent, sibling or child who has had melanoma have a 50 percent greater chance of receiving the same diagnosis compared with those without melanoma in their immediate family. The breast cancer gene mutation BRCA2 is linked to higher melanoma odds, and the skin cancer gene CDKN2A conveys a higher-than-expected risk for breast cancer, the Irish Journal of Medical Science finds. Even your natural hair color matters: Redheads often have the MC1R gene, which causes skin cells to make pheomelanin, a weaker sun blocker than the common eumelanin. Schedule increased screenings if this is you.

4. Avoid sun blunders.

Some 90 percent of nonmelanoma cancers and 65 percent of melanomas stem from the sun—its UV rays barrage the skin, wreaking havoc on each cell’s DNA. As powerful as UV rays are, you can fend them off with sunscreen—but only if you apply it the right way. To practice safe sun, separate SPF fact from fiction:

My A.M. sunscreen routine keeps me protected all day.The truth Even potent formulas wear off every few hours, especially with friction (as from a phone). And don’t get lax in winter: Burning UVB rays fluctuate seasonally, but UVA, the deeper aging rays also linked to skin cancer, persist year-round, even when it’s overcast.

Take action “Keeping sunscreen with you at all times can determine how much protection you get,” Dr. Marmur says. For midday touch-ups, opt for mineral makeup (which contains a natural sunblock) or formulas with SPF. Choose powder over liquid to make reapplying easier.

Take action Install window protectors at home and in your car (Solar Gard Window Films, $100 to $700, depending on the level of protection; SolarGard.com); they can block up to 99 percent of UV radiation. When you fly, wear sunscreen and always ask row mates to pull down the shutters.

SPF adds up. (Two coats of SPF 15 sunscreen equals SPF 30.)The truth SPF tells you how much longer you can stay in the sun without getting burned compared with when your skin is bare. If you start to redden after 5 minutes, then an SPF 30 product lets you stay out 30 times longer without burning: 5 x 30 = 150 minutes, or 2.5 hours.

Take action Sweating, swimming, toweling off—and the tiny dab you applied—dramatically shorten this time frame. Put on at least 2 tablespoons head-to-toe every two hours—your 8-ounce bottle should last only two beach trips! When it comes to SPF, go high (50, 70, even 90) if you’ll be in direct sun for a few hours; snap on UVSunSense, $8 for seven, a bracelet that changes color when sunscreen is no longer potent.

5. Chew on this.

Nutrients have a synergistic effect. The way to take advantage of their potential skin cancer–fighting powers is “to not OD on a single food type,” says Robert Russell, M.D., president of the American Society for Nutrition in Bethesda, Maryland. “Instead, aim for variety: seven to nine servings of fruit and vegetables per day, plus ample good fats from such sources as olive oil, nuts and fish.” Mix plenty of these skin savers into your meals:

Tea may lower the incidence of skin cancer among those who drink it regularly (about one to two cups daily), notes research from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Spinach may slash the risk of those who’ve had skin cancer from forming subsequent tumors by more than 50 percent, the International Journal of Cancer reports. Packed with antioxidants, this dark, leafy green helps squash free radical damage that may lead to DNA mutations.

Fruit is rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and other healthy nutrients, which can mop up the free radicals floating throughout the body that damage skin cells and make them vulnerable to mutations. Snack on peaches, apples, oranges and other fruit that has reached its prime. “When fruit are ripe, they can have higher nutrient levels than those that aren’t,” Dr. Russell says. “It’s also important to eat produce close to where it’s grown so nutrients don’t start to degrade.”

6. Check your attitude.

Your friends’ standards of beauty highly influence your own, research finds, suggesting that social circles may also affect skin cancer awareness, especially among younger women. “Adolescents who believe their peers favor a tanned appearance are less likely to use adequate sun protection,” says Nadine Kasparian, Ph.D., a psychologist in the faculty of medicine at the University of New South Wales in Australia. So instead, head for the shade and your pals are bound to follow. What’s more, when skin cancer hits loved ones and you think you’re at risk, too, you may take sun avoidance more seriously. A less compelling, but still important, factor is whether you think a tan is attractive. Having a positive perception of pale skin is one of many factors that determine your sun-protection practices, Kasparian says.